tetra

[ te-truh ]

/ ˈtɛ trə /

Save This Word!

noun

any of several tropical, freshwater fishes of the family Characidae, often kept in aquariums.

QUIZ

FIRE UP YOUR VOCAB FOR A "RED" SYNONYMS QUIZ

No fire engine reds here, only a fierce collection of vibrant words for the color red to test yourself on.

Question 1 of 7

What does "amaranth" mean?

a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

an imaginary, undying flower

a mythical creature

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of tetra

1930–35; shortening of New Latin Tetragonopterus former genus name. See tetragon, -o-, -pterous

Words nearby tetra

Tet offensive, Teton, Teton Range, Tétouan, tetr-, tetra, tetrabasic, tetrabrach, tetrabranchiate, tetrabromofluorescein, tetracaine

Other definitions for tetra (2 of 2)

tetra-

a combining form meaning “four,” used in the formation of compound words: tetrabranchiate.

Also especially before a vowel, tetr-.

Origin of tetra-

<Greek, combining form of téttara, neuter of téttaresfour

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use tetra in a sentence

From a purely environmental standpoint, the statistics in favor of Tetra Pak packaging are astounding.
Taking Boxed Wine Seriously: It’s Not Just for Hobos and Teenagers Anymore|Jordan Salcito|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An ambitious Swiss packaging company, Tetra Pak, presents another alternative to Bag-in-Box.
Taking Boxed Wine Seriously: It’s Not Just for Hobos and Teenagers Anymore|Jordan Salcito|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had my first taste of Tetra Pak wine from a neon green package labeled “Bandit” a couple of years ago.
Taking Boxed Wine Seriously: It’s Not Just for Hobos and Teenagers Anymore|Jordan Salcito|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In addition, a one-liter Tetra Pak weighs less than a pound.
Taking Boxed Wine Seriously: It’s Not Just for Hobos and Teenagers Anymore|Jordan Salcito|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Eva and her husband Hans Kristian Rausing, heir to the $10bn Tetra Pak fortune, were both friends of Prince Charles.
Body of Eva Rausing, Friend of Prince Charles, May Have Lain Undiscovered For A Week|Tom Sykes|July 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A small pink flower of the class Tetra dynamia covered the prairie.
Travels in the Interior of North America, 1832-1834, Part III (the Text Being Chapters XXVIII-XXXIII of the London Edition, 1843, and the Appendix a Combination of the Appendices of the London and German [Coblentz, 1839] Editions)|Maximilian, Prinz von Wied
In the case of tetra-substituted compounds, thirty isomers are possible when all the groups are different.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1|Various
Sleep may be secured by lowering the blood pressure with half-grain doses of erythrol-tetra-nitrate.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 5|Various
Fluorescein is readily nitrated, yielding a di- or tetra-nitro compound according to conditions.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5|Various
This mixture is treated with potassium chlorate and hydrochloric acid, whereby it is converted into tetra-chlorinated products.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for tetra (1 of 2)

tetra

/ (ˈtɛtrə) /

noun plural -ra or -ras

any of various brightly coloured tropical freshwater fishes of the genus Hemigrammus and related genera: family Characidae (characins)

Word Origin for tetra

C20: short for New Latin tetragonopterus (former genus name), from tetragon + -o- + -pterous, from Greek pteron wing

British Dictionary definitions for tetra (2 of 2)

tetra-

before a vowel tetr-

combining form

fourtetrameter

Word Origin for tetra-

from Greek

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for tetra

tetra-

pref.

Four:tetradactyl.

Composed of or containing four atoms, molecules, or groups:tetrasaccharide.